06-24-2021, 05:43 PM
(06-24-2021, 01:17 PM)mvossman Wrote: Actually, if I take this another step further, trade Brunson for a protected first, and trade that to the Pels for S&T of Ball (with an overpay offer sheet). That gets you a starting lineup of Holmes/DFS/Hayward/Luka/Ball. The bench would be light with just Maxi, Powell, Burke and the kids. Probably want to spend the exceptions on backcourt depth. Is it me or would that team be a lot of fun and contender worthy?
Hayward has been my favorite idea since the rumor Charlotte was open to moving him. Having him as the secondary scorer/playmaker would be huge for this roster. I'm not a fan of Lonzo, but there are a lot of potential follow-ups if you start with Hayward/Holmes. You would have space to make one other big signing (and maybe another smaller one if you're smart) and then have the room MLE to add depth. It's not hard to imagine building a legit contender that way.
I do think trading Brunson this offseason makes a lot of sense. If you can use him to land another starter, go for it. But even if he's used to dump Powell's contract, I think it would be worth it. That reduces the luxury tax burden in 2022 and makes it easier to re-sign DFS and use the MLE. The Mavs need a vet backup PG anyway.